(Consortium of Applied Researches in Biotechnology) is a no profit private institution, designed to promote cooperation between research and industry and to promote and support SMEs in processes and products innovation of the agro-industrial field. Its main activities are:• Biotechnological products and processes development and optimization in agro-industry, food-industry, environmental and pharmaceutical fields. Provision of chemical, biochemical and microbiological analysis in agro-industry, food-industry, environmental and pharmaceutical fields. Production of microorganisms, vitamins and proteins from natural sources.• Training In particular CRAB is able to:• develop, design and optimize bio-processes and bio-products including advanced processes based on animal and plant cell cultivation• develop, design and optimize clean technologies as well as processes and plants for treatment and purification of solid, liquid and gas wastes and for recovery of industrial by-products• analyze raw materials and industry-agriculture products as well as civil and industrial wastes• provide services for security and quality of work places• produce and purify biological material including starters, inoculation, micro-organisms and proteins• provide general and specific technical consultation• supply multi-client research• organize qualified courses for technicians and teachers, workshops for students, graduate and post-graduate courses

- Microbial strains maintenanceIn CRAB are present approximately 150 microbial strains, found by CRAB by the purchase of the same ones from the greater existing Collections of biological material (like the ATCC, the DSMZ, the BCS) as well as by native selection: the maintenance conditions are fresh, frozen-dry and frozen.

Main projects developed• New products and processes in dairy industry.Financers: Abruzzo Region, ended in1997• Development of wine-based new beverages characterized by low alcohol contents by means of supercritical CO2 extraction. Financers: ARSSA, ended in 1999• New agro-industrial processes and products: a) Juices, powders and extracts (W1); b) Biological active soil ammendants and fertilizers; c) Food and animal food integrators development and validation. Financers: Ministry of Instruction, University and Research, ended in 2003• Wastes Biomass: sustainable recovery advanced procedures. Financers: Plants Nutrition Experimental Institute, ended in 2004• Fucino water quality evaluation finalized to irrigation and analysis of compounds influencing water quality – microbial screening. Financers: ARSSA, ended in 2005• Bakery products with special nutrient characteristics. Financers: Ministry of Instruction, University and Research, ended in 2005• Bioactivators production for agro-environmental application. Financers: Ministry of Instruction, University and Research, ended in 2004• Methods and integrated systems for Fucino vegetables high quality products. Financers: Ministry of Instruction, University and Research, ended in 2005• Safeguard of halzenut and almond genetic resources: form traditional use to novel agroindustrial opportunities: Financers: UE- AGRI GEN RES, ended in 2009• Biological resources valorization: development of new technologies for identification, molecule characterization and production of druggist and industrial interest in Brassicacee. Financers: Financers: Ministry of Instruction, University and Research, ended in 2010• Supply and quality of livestock production. Financers: Ministry of Instruction, University and Research, ended in 2011• Processes and products optimization technologies oriented to improve quality and food safety. Financers: Ministry of Instruction, University and Research, ended in 2011• Valorization of production surplus, by-products and wastes. Financers: Ministry of Instruction, University and Research, ended in 2011• Creating innovative business incubators in biotechnology. Financers: Ministry of Productive Activities, ended in 2011